Day 12: Things I Love About My Hometown

1) Free Concerts. Summer 2012 included Carly Rae Jepsen and Hanson (yes, that Hanson!!).

2) Awesome Saturday Farmer's Market (and Wednesday Market too!).

Outside in the summer :-)

3) Our Zoo. A great free attraction!

4) Our restaurants. Honestly. We have some of the best.

Gerti's has the best fries. The best.

Delicious feta hot pepper dip at Favourite Greek.

Jeff Purvey's. The best fish I have ever had. Fact.

5) Poutine. And this link only shows half of their creations. They recently updated their menu. Ohhhh dear.

And their dessert poutine. Ohhh wow. *Drool*

6) Our downtown shops, we really do have a great selection!

2 gems: Naked Chocolate & S.O.S

7) Nature! We are surrounded by it here in the Kawarthas and Jackson's Park is a good place to start!

8) We have Starbucks. Three, actually. 

9) Our annual Breast Cancer Dragon Boat Races. 

10) This sign: 

No, really. How amazing is this?!

 



And what do you love about YOUR hometown? Or your current town?

Day 10: A Favourite Tradition

I'm not one for routine, but I do appreciate the importance of traditions. They give you something solid to look forward to, and who doesn't appreciate that? There are some things that happen daily, weekly, monthly or annually for myself. Whatever it is, big or small, it's a piece of happiness that I know I can count on no matter what else is happening in my life. 

In my personal opinion, the weekly traditions are the best. I feel like they keep me grounded more so than anything I could do daily (becomes habitual) or annually (headache-inducing deal once a year).

My (current) favourite weekday for traditions happens on Saturday, AKA 'Starbucks Saturday'. Aside from the obvious consumption of Starbucks, we also make sure to visit the year-round farmer's market to grab some pierogi and mini donuts, along with anything else we may need (we really do try to shop local!). 

In the summertime, almost every Saturday night includes a wander downtown to the Little Lake MusicFest and ends with a bonfire, whether we are in the city or the country. Sadly, nothing much happens during the winters on a Saturday night. I think I will do something to change this fact! Friends? Ideas?

My latest Starbucks Saturday: Raspberry Java Chip Frappuccino. Just try it, once. Trust me. 

What's something you look forward to that helps bring you back to ?

Some DIY and Local Awesome

A bit of local awesome:

I was somewhat traumatized a handful of years ago, when I experienced my first spa-manicure. I won't bore you with the details, but it ended with a (probably) life long painful ugly mess of a non-growing cuticle. I swore I'd never do a mani (or pedi, not that I'd ever had one) at a spa, ever again... until today. 

For my most recent birthday, I was given a voucher for a mini-spa adventure which included a mani, pedi, facial and arm/hand massage. A girl can't say "no" to some pampering, especially not a girl who's on a mission to explore her hometown while creating herself. I'm glad that I was given the opportunity to get over my dis-taste for spas because this experience was a world away from my last. The owner, Emily, was a gem. She made me feel totally relaxed and at home. I will be back! She doesn't have a website, so I snapped a quick picture of her brochure:

Beautiful, relaxing view

A few fun cleaning tips, inspired by Pinterest:

1) Drain cleaner made from baking soda, white vinegar and boiling water. So simple and it worked like a charm! I used it in the bathtub drain which was definitely getting clogged up with a lot of hair, especially after giving a couple of felines a bath or two recently. It really couldn't have been much easier!

2) Jewelry cleaner made using dish soap, salt, baking soda, hot water and a piece of tin foil. Again, so simple and incredibly effective. I was shocked at how sparkly an old family ring came out - I've never seen the diamonds so sparkly! Be sure to read through the comments on the post as well, there are more helpful tips there.

So easy!

3) Microfiber couch cleaner using rubbing alcohol in a spray-bottle, a sponge and a bristly-brush. Our light-tan microfiber couch gets a lot of abuse (I really need a bib when I eat/drink anything) and has consequently seen much better days. We were honestly starting to consider tossing this one in the basement apartment and replacing it with something of another material. Well, I don't think that any of that will need to happen because the two small test-spots that I have used appear to be turning out gorgeously and I can't wait to get started on the rest! I will try to remember to post before and after photos when I do.

And that's about all that I have to report for the day. I plan to spend the next two days devouring my camera guides and hopefully starting on a photography project to get me practicing. Stay tuned!

3 Days of Fun & Thoughts

 

 

Some thoughts, encounters and fun from the past three days:

1) PacMan pretzels, made by myself and BFF:

Inspired by this post that I found via Pinterest. Not horrible for a first try!

2) Cucumber Baseball:

 

I have no idea what the cucumbers did to deserve that, but it was funny! If you were there, anyway...

3) While visiting Nanny over the weekend, she lent me The Road by Cormac McCarthy, a book she had been raving about. It's written in a style that I've never read before but I really thought that it was fantastic. The story tells the happenings of a man and his young son who are walking across post-apocalyptic - and extremely freezing - America. It really make you think about what people would do if ever faced with such dire circumstances. I feel that it's, sadly, not far off from the events of this book. I've learned that there is a movie based on the story and I may just have to check it out to see how it compares to the book.

I always seem to enjoy any book recommended by Oprah's Book Club

4) Boyfriend and I visited the newly opened restaurant The Works which everyone has been raving about, but neither of us were overly impressed by. The service was fairly attentive but you could really tell that they were recently opened as it got a bit awkward at moments. The decor was a sort-of construction site/pub feel and the way they served the food and drinks was very unique (see photos). However, we both found that our fries were very hard to chew and tasted of old grease, and the burger patties were charcoal on the outside and dry as a bone inside. We had already waited for half an hour on a not-too-busy Monday night, and weren't overly interested in waiting any longer for new food if we complained, so we did our best to eat what we could. It has potential, but I think we'll be waiting for them to iron out the new restaurant kinks before returning.

Drinks served in measuring cups!

Lightbulb S&P shakers

Wilty-looking fries and a charred burger.

5) Weeds only has one more episode! After 8 seasons and 101 episodes of Botwin family shenanigans, they have come full circle back to Agrestic/Regrestic where they are wrapping things up and the cast is moving on. I'm alright with it, they really had a good run while it lasted but it couldn't possibly drag on any longer. I wonder how it will all end?! So exciting!

Not to worry fellow Weeds fans - Justin Kirk's (Uncle Andy) new comedy Animal Practice starts on September 26th. If you didn't catch the pilot episode that aired just after the Olympic closing ceremonies in August, be sure to watch the premiere. Unless you don't like monkeys in lab coats... 

5) Sons of Anarchy season 5 premieres tonight!! I know, I know -I'm talking about a lot of TV but, at least it's super-epic TV. I am stoked to have the entire incredibly talented cast of SOA blow my mind for another season. If you've never watched it, you are seriously depriving yourself and I'm sad for you. 

6) I was able to read about 3 pages of my Magic Lantern guide to our DSLR last night, and I feel that I've already learned a lot. I'm pretty stoked to see what else I'll learn, and have even started an inspiration board on Pinterest. Check it out!

 

Until tomorrow....

Hello, Friday!

I failed at posting yesterday. I had every intention of writing and even almost got back out of bed at 1am to do so, but I decided that sleep was a better option - I figure you'll forgive me. I did start my day off being productive, but by mid-afternoon I had the worst random headache I think I've ever had (I very rarely get headaches outside of the typical sinus headaches during allergy season). It knocked me right out of commission. I feel for people who get them on the regular. Honest. I would smash my head open with a hammer to relieve the pressure if it were me. At any rate, staring at a computer screen was not an option for the rest of the day/evening. 

But I was still a bit productive before that:

1) I found a wonderful website on cat nutrition that is very informative, and I know it will be a great tool for when I make the transition from commercially produced cat food to a raw diet prepared by myself. Her FAQ section is incredibly extensive, and she even provides a letter both from you to your veterinarian and vice-versa.

2) I have officially convinced my taste buds that coffee is still delicious without my beloved flavoured non-dairy creamers. They really are a guilty pleasure of mine, but there's nothing healthy about them. We only buy flavoured coffee anyway so really, do I need the extra flavour? As I have learned, that's a negative. Which is awesome, because I typically consume the contents of a full 4-cup french press every morning. One win for being healthier! 

3) Mike purchased a couple of kettlebells a few weeks ago, one for himself and one for me. Neither of us have the first clue how to properly use them, but we knew they were highly beneficial judging by their recent rise to fame amongst our fitness guru friends. Yesterday, I spent some time searching through YouTube videos for some reliable instructions so that we could finally put them to use. After finding a few great videos, I tried out the kettlebell swing which seems to be a great starting point for beginners. I heard that they were great for cardio, but wow - they really get your heart pumping! I think I'm officially addicted. Another win for being healthier! 

Can you guess which one is mine? Teehee!

4) I supported the local economy and spent quality time with my mom all at the same time by enjoying a delicious lunch at one of my favourite restaurants, The Favourite Greek. I'm sure that I've written about them already but I don't care. They are that good.

*Bonus points: I decided to make the 15-minute walk to the restaurant instead of have my mom pick me up as was the original plan. More wins for health! 

Greek salad and Meze: spanakopita & various dips with pita. YUM.

5) When my headache finally started to subside late last night, we decided to watch the movie Hick. We'd never heard of it, but it caught our attention because Blake Lively is one of the stars, and we do love us some Blake Lively. And honestly, anything to help me with my Gossip Girl withdrawals is good by me.

The movie itself was definitely a bit strange and I'm not convinced that it was a perfect fit for Blake, but the girl who played main character Luli was truly amazing. Everyone: keep your eyes open for Chloe Grace Moretz, a 15-year old actress who already had a pretty credible resume that is only going to grow. Watch for her starring role as the title character in the remake of the Stephen King's Carrie, currently filming and due to be released in 2013. I know I'll be making a solid effort to watch her work!  

I guess that's about it for my Thursday. Today will definitely be a bit more productive, especially now that I've received my guides for our DSLR:

I wonder which one I'll enjoy more?

Hootenannys and Dinosaurs

There were approximate 12 trillion things happening in Peterborough over the weekend. 

Honest. 

I have a hard time deciding what to do when there are very few options, so when I am thrown options such as Hootenannys, exhibitions and concerts, it gets a bit overwhelming. My solution? Pour a vodka and go with the flow. Here is the resulting 'flow':

1) Vodka-Friday-turned-prostar-dinner, created by myself and two of my favourites: 

Kebabs, pre-grill. So colourful and so yum! Yes, this is the only decent-ish photo a got. Fail.

2) In honour of National S'mores Day, I made this: 

PB & J s'more: Jumbo strawberry marshmallow & peanut butter M&Ms on graham crackers, baked in toaster oven at about 300 for 3-4 minutes (watch for marshmallow to puff up and chocolates to go glossy.

3) Johnny's Eh's pulled pork & cheese sauce on a hotdog at Hootenanny on Hunter: 

I will eat pulled pork on anything. Even a hotdog with cheese sauce, both of which I despise. I have issues...

4) Delicious little box of Naked Chocolate: 

 

Right beside an awesome shoe store, S.O.S

Nope, no pictures of the chocolates. Oops.

5) A wicked awesome dinner at a favourite spot of ours, The Favourite Greek. They have amazing feta and hot pepper dip which is especially delicious when mixed with their tzatziki, which then in turn makes a great dip for either warm pitas or any of their souvlaki. Which is also very delicious. All of it. We eat here a lot :-|   Super tasty chicken gyros too... okay... stopping. But go here! Seriously!

6) 2 (so far) failed attempts at a Pinterest DIY project. I am determined to master this one, because it's just way too awesome. 

7) Premiering this fall: Animal Practice, an animal hospital comedy in the style of the one and only medical dramady of House, only with Justin Kirk of Weeds fame (Uncle Andy) as the main character. We stumbled across this gem on Sunday, After watching the closing ceremonies of Olympia 30. Seriously, I think it's going to be an Awesomely hilarious show, check it out! 

8) Lunch at another favourite restaurant of ours, All Star Wings in Vaughan:

Caesar Does Texas wings - our favourite flavour so far

Greek Fries - an absolute must at All Stars

9) A short-but-sweet visit to Canada's Wonderland. We managed to see their new Dinosaurs Alive! exhibit and ride on one coaster before a giant dark cloud moved in and rained us out:

T-Rex & Triceratops - dinosaur classics

They've discovered so many dinos since I was a kid!

And now, I must go attempt to master the DIY I posted... wish me luck!

Reuben Love

I'd like to think that you can judge how good a sandwich shop is by the level of Awesome in their Reuben. You may agree, you may disagree. No matter what it is to you, in my world that's the straight-up truth.

"What in the h-e-double-hockey-sticks made you want to talk about sandwiches?"

Simple: 2 hungry people, 1 local sandwich shop. Mike had tried this newer-ish deli out a few weeks ago with some friends while I was off on my road trip and insisted that I try it soon, so when we realized that it was well into lunch time and we hadn't yet eaten any food today (I may or may not have filled up on coffee), he suggested venturing to Sam's Place. 

See what others are saying about Sam's Place!

Mike ordered himself a California Club with a side of potato salad and his traditional beverage, Dr. Pepper. I had to steal a few bites of the potato salad because it's one of my favourite foods and, surprisingly, so few people can make it delicious for my mouth. Well, they have a winner. 

Super-delicious potato salad. Sorry 'bout the fork - I was dodging the hungry man eating his sandwich.

 

California Club - Avocado, Turkey, Mayo, Cheddar, Bell Peppers, Red Onion, Lettuce & Tomato on Marble Rye, served cold.

 I, of course, ordered the Reuben. I'm ashamed to say it, but I was so hungry and the sandwich was so good that I honestly completely forgot to take a picture of my sandwich until my last bite. But no worries my fellow foodies - I will be going back to have another so I will be sure to add a photo when I do! I would easily give it a 10/10, yes indeed I would. The only complaint that anyone may possibly have is that it's not a mile-high Reuben, which some people swear is the only way to eat them. I disagree with that, and think that it should be the perfect blend of all of the flavours. And, my friends, it was. Ohhhh was it ever. And for that reason, 10/10 it is.

While we are on the topic of Reubens, I should probably toss you this gem, a whole website dedicated to the most amazing burger recipes including "The Brooklyn" (page 24, "The Inaugural 30") which is probably the greatest burger/sandwich creation of all time. I sh*t you not. Yes, we did make The Brooklyn. Yes, it was even more amazing than it sounds.

*Our variation: We used President's Choice Prime Rib frozen burgers (I know - cheating, but they're SO GOOD) and they were probably sprinkled with some seasoning salt and slathered with one kind of BBQ sauce or another. The Swiss Cheese was just whatever our grocery store had, and we used marble rye instead of dark because someone around here really loves fun-looking things. Including bread. Next time, I'd make it with fresh bacon burgers because bacon should always be included. Always. 

In conclusion: if you're in Peterborough or will be visiting any time in the near-ish future, you have to check out Sam's Place. You won't be disappointed. And if you're not ever around here, you had better make The Brooklyn. Or you could just do both. I vote both.

If your love for a good Reuben matches mine, leave a comment sharing where you had the best Reuben and what made it so Awesome!

Just another Manic Monday

Well, I'll say that was a successful weekend! 

Saturday was the local dragon boat races, and while they were forecasting thunderstorms all day, Mother Nature decided to play nice and only gave us a couple of small showers in the morning. I love watching our community come together and rally for such a good cause. People get into this festival, and I do mean REALLY get into it. Our downtown is transformed into a sea of pink everywhere you look, and people can be found randomly breaking into song and dance at any given time. Check out this article about Saturday's races, complete with a slide show (Nanny is in photo #13) and a short video. The final tally for funds raised won't be announced until the fall, but they are so far sitting at over $170,000. That's a lot of money from a town of 75,000 people. If that isn't community spirit, I don't know what is.

I was feeling a bit "festive" and made some Pink Lemonade cupcakes. Mmmm summer!

A few blocks up the street from dragon boat races, A Taste of Downtown was happening. If there's one thing that I love about living in Peterborough, it's definitely our amazing selection of restaurants that reside in our downtown core. Mike and I, forever following our taste buds, decided to hit up Charlotte Street for the rare treat of getting to eat at all of our favourite restaurants at once. Apparently we didn't quite get enough during the day because after several drinks with friends, we walked back down to Whistle Stop for one of their 50+ poutines. Ohhhh mouthgasm. Very quickly devoured by 3 of us were Pulled Pork poutine, Philly Cheese Steak poutine, and Strawberry Dream dessert poutine (if you love funnel cake, you'll love dessert poutine). I really can't get enough of this place.

...Apparently I failed to take many photos of my weekend, but that's fine. I will have many more delicious encounters with food and will find many more awesome things to fill my time with that will all require photographic evidence. 

And now, I go (with a promise to take more photos). I have 5 hours to plan, gather, get ready, drive 45 minutes to a cottage, and set up for this evening's event: a mini-birthday party of sorts for a good friend. Cheers!

Blondes and Boobies: Some Local Awesome

I had my first true "girly-gossipy hair salon" day today. Not that they aren't normally a bit chatty as my stylist is also a long time friend... but the two clients who came in just after me were (coincidentally) also girls I had known forever. We discussed everything from male strip clubs & Passion Parties products (totally unrelated stories) to crazed murderers & stalker fans. As cheesy as it sounds - it was kinda refreshing. The only thing missing was vodka....*sigh*.... Anyway, my hair is officially ready for summer, thanks to the one and only Miss Jess of Fusion Hair Studio . I am blonde. Really really blonde.

And sometime in the next 24-ish hours, my hair will also be pink for this weekend's Dragon Boat Festival . My grandmother, a breast cancer survivor, is one of the original members of the hosting team "Survivors Abreast". Typically my mother and I take care of putting together lunches for the 100+ volunteers the night before the festival, and this year will be no different. There have been some years we have also paddled on supporting or community teams, but this year we are both sitting it out... as far as we know anyway. 

Nanny :-)

Now this is where I'm gunna get serious for a moment: To anyone who knows me, you know that my grandmother, "Nanny", is a very important part of my life. Without her influence, I'd never have discovered my love for at least three different activities - riding horses, acting and sailing. She has always encouraged me to follow my heart and live my life with a smile on my face. The love and support from her are so unconditional, so genuine and so uplifting on the darkest of days. She is funny, and clever and so very brave, and she lives her life to the fullest in ways that I only hope I'll be able to match. Nanny has overcome so many obstacles in her life and never lets anything take her down. Most recently she beat cancer - again. Her clean bill of health is still very new, so seeing her fellow dragon-boaters this weekend is going to be even more special than it usually is. And that Nanny, ever the go-getter, has not just one dragon boat team to support her, but TWO. See, she is also the founder and president of Canadians Abreast, Canada's national breast cancer survivor dragon boat team.They have traveled the world over, fiercely paddling for their cause. Consequently, I have treasures from every corner of the globe but my favourite are my photos and memories from last July, when Nanny took me to Sydney, Nova Scotia to celebrate the 10th anniversary of a local dragon boat team. We didn't get to spend much time together, but I was able to mingle with some of her beloved teammates and even catch some good photos of the adventure. Plus, a little bit of sea-air does wonders for a soul in need of a break from reality.

All mushy stuff aside, I had better see some of your faces out this weekend to cheer on the local dragon boat teams as they race to raise funds to kick cancer's ugly ass. 

Now, I sleep.